Fakes and forgeries are objects of fascination. This volume contains a
series of thirteen articles devoted to fakes and forgeries of written
artefacts from the beginnings of writing in Mesopotamia to modern China.
The studies emphasise the subtle distinctions conveyed by an
established vocabulary relating to the reproduction of ancient artefacts
and production of artefacts claiming to be ancient: from copies,
replicas and imitations to fakes and forgeries. Fakes are often a
response to a demand from the public or scholarly milieu, or even both.
The motives behind their production may be economic, political,
religious or personal – aspiring to fame or simply playing a joke. Fakes
may be revealed by combining the study of their contents,
codicological, epigraphic and palaeographic analyses, and scientific
investigations. However, certain famous unsolved cases still continue to
defy technology today, no matter how advanced it is. Nowadays, one can
find fakes in museums and private collections alike; they abound on the
antique market, mixed with real artefacts that have often been looted.
The scientific community’s attitude to such objects calls for ethical
reflection.
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